El arte de la infidelidad. (The Art of Infidelity)

By staff -- Críticas, 11/15/2007

In his first book, award-winning journalist and news anchor Gratas tackles the perennial issue of infidelity. While he states that his book is founded on “years of research and interviews,” he fails to cite studies and refers only to popular sources, such as Wikipedia. His examination of gender-specific motives arrives at the tired and simplistic conclusion that while men seek sex, women seek emotional intimacy. Gratas offers inane tips about what to look for when one suspects infidelity, including an unfamiliar fragrance and a “new look,” and says that dispassionate confrontation should only occur following thorough investigation and collection of unambiguous evidence. He also addresses how to overcoming the betrayal and move forward. For a book based on the author’s premise that there is an “epidemic” of infidelity in our times, significant issues are glaringly omitted: Internet adultery and emotional cheating are only mentioned but not thoroughly discussed. Conceivably, this book could provide some help for the desperate, but the concept fails in its execution because the author offers only a superficial and narrow perspective on a socially relevant and important topic. Recommended only for bookstores with large self-help collections or where name recognition will draw readers.—Carolyn Kost, Stevenson Sch. Lib., Pebble Beach, CA